I'm doing this for myself. I have been overweight for ages now and its about time I did something about it - for my health and self esteem. Also - I wanna be the one who turns heads when i walk in the room lol (probably sounds a little self absorbed I know!)

My self-esteem is pretty low and there are so many things I want to do in life but am afraid to try because I don't want people judging me based on my appearances. It's also physically difficult to do some things I'd like to try - can you imagine an elephant snowboarding? Anyway I'd really like to like myself and not judge myself how harshly I imagine everyone else judging me. Being gorgeous would be nice too.

I know what you mean about people judging us.
I'd love to go to a gym one day but I can't go alone because I've become very self concious about my fat.
If I had someone to go with me I could distract myself from people staring by talking with the friend, unfortunately I have no one that'll go with me.

I have a thyroid gland problem (hypothyroidism) if I eat 800 calories per day I can lose a little bit of weight but if I eat the recommended minimum of 1,300 calories per day I gain heaps of weight.
People just look at me and think I glutton on 3,000 calories per day.
My skinny inlaws never seem to understand.

Wow! I can't imagine eating only 800 calories a day. I think I'd be passing out! I really feel for you Dolly. I used to hate going to gyms too but I've tried a few different gyms and some of them are ok. My first gym, way back when I was in uni, was horrible. It was a great facility with pool and spa and heaps of equipment and sports courts. But it also had wall to wall, floor to ceiling mirrors and heaps of meatheads getting buff checking out everyone who moved and big big windows and lots of school kids wandering through. It was a nightmare! I felt ashamed for even existing. Then I went to a different gym and it was great. No big mirrors or windows, no people showing off. Most of the people who went there were just ordinary people trying to keep fit or lose weight and it felt very safe. It wasn't a fashion show and nobody judged you. My current gym is probably halfway between the two. Luckily no big mirrors. If you look around at a few different gyms you might find one that you feel comfortable in. And there are a lot of women's gyms popping up around the place too. I also have an mp3 player with a sports strap for my arm so I can crank up my favourite music and just forget that everyone else is there.

i want to loose weight because i want to feel good about myself. i want to be able to look in the mirror naked again! i want to be smiling 24/7 and when i walk past people in the street i want them to say to themselves, "gee, check out that really really ridicuosly good looking girl" nah, they can say "gee, check out that girl. how happy does she look!" i want to be able to run to the bridge and back without feeling like i have a sack of lollies around my middle. i want to be able to share clothes with my friends again. i dont want people to use my personality as an excuse to be overweight ("gee kitty you are such a nice person, it doesnt matter what you look like")i want my younger sister and my mum to see that it can be done. my sister is starting to head down the same path as me and i want my mum to start moving her ass now before she is too old or too big to do so. i want to be able to kick my brothers ass on the basketball court again. i want to feel good about myself on the beach and know those hot guys are checking out my bod cos i look like a goddess, not the michelin man.

but most of all i want to look how i feel, so happy to be alive and so lucky to be living the life i am. i love my lifestyle and am afraid that if i keep on expanding that i will be left puffing with my hands on my knees while my mates are all having a ball saying "i wish kitty was with us...."

Kitty..............you described everything so well I suppose I fit into the description of your Mum, I was going to wish you all the best on your journey but I dont think you need it you sound as if you have so much willpower and determination to get there that I am sure you will, and hopefully you will drag us all along with you
YOU GO GIRL
Pam

I need to lose weight for my health. I guess like a lot of people I was slim till I turned 40, now I have spent the last 20 years overweight and getting bigger and bigger and unhealthy. I have a large sliding hiatus hernia among other things. You would think that would do it. Logic and reason say so.

My health should be enough reason to act yet I go for the quick fix to feel better in the moment and I have done so for the last 20 years obviously

Dolly that sure is a good reason to lose weight and if its important to you to lose weight for this it could be a real incentive.

I have just read how low your calorie intake has to be to lose weight .
that is hard. Sounds like your'e on the low carb diet is that right?

Do you mind saying how much weight you want to lose by then?

A friend who did the low carb on the DR Cohen lifestyle program lost weight very quickly and has kept it off. She said it lowered the need one lady had for her thyroid medication for hypothyroid. Thats just anecdotel and could be umpteenth hand info. Have you heard of any one with hypothyroid problems losing weight on those programs?

Hi Lanie,
The book The Thyroid diet by Mary Shomon that I'm doing is based on eating low glycemic, high fiber foods.
I no longer have the will power I had even a year ago to cut down my carb intake.
Atkins, The Zone and the european version of Zone called The Montignac Slimming Sensation just didn't work for me.
Even though Kylie Minogue thanks the Montignac diet for her sexy butt.
I do my diet in conjunction with doing my Weight Watcher points.
Friday is my Weight Watcher weigh-in day.

The class is in the community hall straight across the road so I've got no excuses to cut class.

Thanks Dolly for the info. A couple of months ago at a hairdressers the girl doing my hair said ' you have a line down the back of your head did you know that? "

I said "no" wondering what on earth she was talking about she said " it means you have an underactive thyroid you should go and get it checked.

I duly did, doc said it was within normal range, went back for my next trim told the girl, she looked at the back of my head again and said
" well no matter what the test says you have the line down the back of your head and you have an underactive thyroid.'

Now I still dont know what line she was talking about , have you heard of any such indicator of thyroid problem?

My reason in wanting for loose wanting to loose wait apart from the obvious health issues is because I am sick and tired of being overweight. I have been overweight most of my life and if I don't do something now I never will, I'll be 50 in a couple of years and I want to be able to wear something really nice. Also my brother is having a 50th birthday party in February with all the relies and I would love to be in double figures by then, I am tired of hearing the usual coments like "gee youv'e put on even more weight, if that's possible"

Dolly, I have been hearing a lot about these new gyms that are opening up everywhere called "Curves". I have only heard good feedback on them and you don't feel uncomfortable because of your size.